The Journey Back Home
by sweetMagdalene
Summary: After arriving back in Storybrooke, Emma and Hook battle with their growing feelings for each other while they are thrust into the chaos which erupted while they were gone. Deals are made, promises broken and love grows all while the threat Cora and Regina's dark magic looms over the town.
1. The Deal

The Journey Back Home

**Summary:** Following the suggested events of 2x15, Hook deals with another defeat in his quest for vengeance while Emma and Henry struggle with their newly challenged trust issues.

**A/N:** This was originally going to be my entry for CS Saturday this week, with the theme of Daddy!Hook but I don't think I'm quite ready to venture too deeply into the land of AU. There are some Hook/Henry scenes that help the early development of their relationship, so maybe that kind of counts? It gets kind of dark towards the end, but I wanted to stay true to Hook's character at this point in the show. This is my first fanfic that's ever managed to reach the light of day, so please be kind to me :S Hope you enjoy! Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader Gabe (spooloflies) for her help :D 3

Both the dark night sky and the brisk Atlantic tides cooled the decks of the infamous Jolly Roger as Hook sailed it away from its inconspicuous location amongst several vessels in the crowded shipyard. It wasn't just the strong winds that were cold either, but it was the atmosphere on board that felt icy. The lack of magic forced a still injured Hook to man the wheel up on the top deck as Emma stayed as far away from him as possible, leaning against a sturdy mast by the bow of the ship. Her eyes were forward, dead set on getting back to Storybrooke without any more serious confrontations breaking out. She hoped Neal and Henry would stay below where they were nursing a distressed Rumplestilskin.

If Emma had thought that the journey into Manhattan had been stressful, she was extremely ill prepared for the long sail home. Hook's actions had caught her off guard today. She expected to have to deal with his violent mood swings in Storybrooke, but she never thought he'd make it all the way to New York City on his own. After attacking Gold, Emma seemed to calm his murderous intentions and snap him back to reality.

"Let me finish this!" Hook screamed as he saw Emma come running down the apartment staircase out of the corner of his eye.

Emma paused for a second, her mind trying to process what she saw before her: Hook, in full pirate garb standing in the entryway to Neal's complex with his hook embedded in Mr. Gold's chest.

"What the hell?!" Emma yelled as she finally ran up to them both and tried to pull Hook away. "Hook! Get off of him!"

"No! Three hundred years and I finally get to end this, Emma. I get to be _done_," he choked out, with what looked almost like tears in his tightly drawn eyes. His voice was so strained, so full of sadness that Emma could tell his strength was diminishing.

With all her strength, Emma managed to rip his arm away and push him up against the mailboxes with a loud bang. The jolt of force though seemed to reinvigorate Hook's willpower.

"This is why I came here, Emma! I've been waiting for this moment for so long and he deserves it. He deserves to _die_," he said menacingly still looking over at the crumpled Rumplestilskin, blood beginning to make its way onto the white linoleum tiles beneath him. As he continued to fight Emma's restraints he looked her straight in the eyes and pleaded, "You said you would help me once. Are you going to betray me again?"

They stared at each other for a long moment, tension heavy between their bodies and their blue eyes. Killian's were full of resentment and hatred, Emma's were hurt and desperate. It was only when Neal and Henry came rushing down the stairs to Mr. Gold's aid that their connection was broken.

"Hook?" questioned a confused Neal who, rather apprehensively knelt down beside his estranged father.

Henry looked equally as shook up as he turned to Emma and frantically asked, "Mom, what's going on? What happened?"

At a loss for words, Emma turned back to Hook and looked him dead in the eyes. "Listen," she begged, uncomfortable having to ask a favour of him in his currently crazed state, "I understand what you want. I've felt it. The sadness, the loneliness - all of it! It can make you want to do terrible things, and you've already shown what you're capable of, but please. For _me_, for _my son_, let it go."

He scoffed at her words. "Why should I do anything for _you_?"

"You've put _us all_ in danger by coming here, Hook. This land, it's different. And you better hope no one saw you stab Gold or there will be people here to take you away any second, people a lot less merciful than me. You'll be stuck here forever, and by the looks of it," she glanced over to a gasping Mr. Gold, Neal's hands on his chest putting pressure on the wound, "you won't have succeeded."

Hook's resolve seemed to wane.

"And they won't just take you away," Emma continued, "It'll be Henry and I as well. After I fought _so hard_ to get back to my family." Her voice cracked, "Stop this. We still have time to get away. Please, _Killian_."

After a short moment, his arms dropped then and there was silence in the small foyer, minus the shallow breaths still coming from Mr. Gold's injured chest. He looked around the room, to Henry, and saw the same willful expression he loved so much about Emma, which made him turn back to her. She had a softness to her face just then that seemed to calm his disappointment and internal rage. He knew she was playing him, with her mercy and her desperate pleading but he just couldn't seem to say no to her.

He regained his steely demeanor, stepped over Mr. Gold's legs and headed for the door.

Emma started, "Wait – "

"I'll be at the shipyard in thirty minutes. Meet me there if you want a ride back to Storybrooke," he glared at them as he exited, looking first at Gold's crippled body and then to Emma for a lingering moment before slamming the door behind him.

Hook watched Emma's hair as it was whipped around her face by the wind from dark waters below them. The blonde strands were illuminated by the almost full moon that hung low in the evening sky and served to distract him from what was going on in the belly of the ship. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He had thought that the next time he would be sailing his ship it would be away from this wretched, grey, loud world and now he found himself transporting his arch nemesis back home to safety.

He cursed Emma for always managing to change his plans. He shouldn't care about her, or her family. He was Captain _bloody_ Hook for God's sake! He was used to being dangerous, and unforgiving. He didn't like this new side of him that she evoked. She brought out a vulnerability inside him that he hadn't felt in a very long time. They were alike in so many ways that it scared him and as he looked at her all he saw was _weakness_.

Weakness in her fierce wit and endearing sarcasm.

Weakness in her strong willpower and love for her son.

But most of all, he saw weakness in her face – her eyes, like the sea in their ever changing moods and colours that reminded him so much of home, and her soft smile which held so much tenderness and compassion.

He felt this weakness in the pit of his stomach and the swell of his still beating heart. His mask remained in place however, as his hard expression retrained itself on the dark horizon ahead.

Emma had never been on a ship like this before. While she was shaken from the day's unexpected events, she couldn't help but feel calmed by the cool wind in her hair and the sound of the water rushing by beneath her. She was staying away from the others, alone by the ship's bow, and she told herself it was only to ensure nothing would happen that might jeopardize their ride back. But she knew that it was something else that sent her off on her own.

Hook's comment from earlier had hurt her. _"Are you going to betray me again?"_

Emma wasn't a betrayer, she was the betrayed. _She _was the one who didn't trust, who didn't let people close enough to hurt her. And now it seemed as though she had become her worst fear. Perhaps Hook was just baiting her, trying to get her to break, but there was a part of her that regretted chaining him up at the top of that beanstalk and a part of her that wished they had worked together. Then Cora wouldn't be in Storybrooke and everything would be different.

Why did she feel so tied to him, anyways? She didn't owe him anything, and yet she did, because despite how much she hated to admit it, they were the same. Lost, and sad, and broken. Their only difference was that Emma's future looked bright, with her newly found family, while Hook's remained dark and unsatisfying.

She had abandoned him because of her own fears, when she could have helped him avoid this villainous path.

His jab had also struck her because of what Henry had said to her earlier. _"You're just like _her_."_

She had betrayed Henry too, the one person she loved more than anything, with her fear-driven lies. Was this the person she was becoming? Her own worst enemy?

She was startled out of her reverie by the creak of the hatch door that led to the hull over by one of the staircases. She saw Henry emerge, his face still distressed from their earlier conversation. This saddened Emma even more, for had it been a normal day she would have seen the look of delight and awe on his face, considering how much sailing on a true pirate ship would have excited him.

He looked at her for a brief second, caught momentarily in deciding how to proceed, before climbing the stairs to his right, further away from her.

Emma, apprehensive about leaving Henry and Hook alone but knowing not to follow her son, moved closer to the stairs while hiding herself from the top deck's view. She turned again to watch the black waves crash against the side of the ship as she listened intently through the sounds of the cool night air.

Hook's concentration was broken suddenly when he heard quick steps up the ancient wooden staircase. At first he thought that Emma had come to yell at him some more, which was something he really wasn't in the mood for, but he was caught off guard when he saw a bouncing mop of brown hair approaching him.

In an attempt to shoo the boy away, Hook looked at him and said, "Hey kid, crew members only up here. I don't want you getting in my way." This didn't seem to faze the boy.

"My mom used to call me that."

He was confused, "What?"

"'Kid.' She used to call me that when we first met. Didn't want to get too close or anything, I guess," he said wistfully as he came to lean against the railing in front of the rough looking Captain. The juxtaposition of the two figures was laughable. Henry, a vision of innocence and modernity, versus Hook whose aged face held the image of sadness and sin.

This still didn't make much sense to Hook, but he kept his wits about him, "Maybe so, but my rules still stand. If you're up here then you have to be a member of the crew," he repeated hastily.

"Can I help then? I may seem young, but I'm a fast learner," he replied with a smile.

Hook tried to think of a way out but couldn't find one, and it wasn't like he could leave the wheel and drag the boy back below deck. He looked around for something for the young lad to do.

"Here," he said as he turned around and tightened some ropes and passed them over to Henry quickly, "take these. When I tell you to 'pull', tighten them as hard as you can, and when I say 'release', give them some slack until I say 'when,' you got it?" Hook noticed his harshness when speaking to the boy, a bad habit from years ago when he was in high command of his sailors, and he regretted it.

Henry didn't seem to mind though, as his face took on a look of excitement, "Great! Sounds easy enough," he chimed, and Hook turned back to the wheel.

He searched for the flash of blond that was now missing from the decks below him, and wondered where Emma had gotten to. Perhaps she went down to visit 'Gold,' as she called him, and the lad's father. Were they still together? Had the attraction he felt towards her back in the Enchanted Forest been for nothing? He reminded himself quickly that it didn't matter. This wasn't his life and he'd be out of this world as soon as possible.

"Why aren't you down with your parents, kid?" Hook asked, uncomfortable with the silence that fell between them. He was never good with children and it had been a long while since he'd shared space with anyone who didn't wield some sort of power over him. The fact that Henry just wanted company from him was unusual.

"My mom and I fought earlier," answered Henry, "and my dad? Well, I just met him today. So we're taking things kind of slow."

Hook seemed a little taken aback. Realizing things weren't as simple in Storybrooke, or in Emma's life, as he had assumed. He wasn't sure of what to say to the boy.

"Well, uh, I'm sure everything will be fine," his attempted advice came across awkward and without sentiment, but Henry understood what he meant.

"I know," Henry agreed, "she's just scared. She spent her whole life being hurt by other people that she thinks she can protect me from it. But, getting hurt is just a part of life. I know that, and I'm only eleven," he finished, almost smugly.

Surprised by the boy's insight and maturity, Hook again didn't know what to say and both went quiet for a long moment. They were jolted into action however, by a loud flap in the ship's main sail and Hook had to grab on to the wheel tighter to keep it from spinning.

"Pull!" he called, and Henry quickly gripped the ropes and pulled them taught, forcing the main sail back into its position, as he attempted to steer them away from the large patch of bumpy waves.

"Hit a strong wind there, kid. You okay?" Hook asked hastily after the rough weather seemed to be behind them. If the boy was hurt in any way, Emma was sure to kill him once they came ashore.

There was a long moment of dead silence that made Hook's stomach drop, and he was not expecting what came out of the boy's mouth next.

"That was_ so_ awesome!" Henry screamed, the biggest smile Hook had ever seen plastered to his small, round face. "Can we do it again?" He pleaded his eyes full of wonder and awe.

Hook was definitely relieved at the boy's safety, but shocked again at his excitement and enthusiasm. Part of him wanted to show the boy more but he reminded himself again that he was leaving once they docked.

"That's enough excitement for one night I think, lad," answered Hook, hoping not to upset the boy.

Henry looked down to the ropes he held in his hand, and tied them tightly back into their original position on a hook that jutted out from the side of the ship. Hook didn't fail to notice the precision with which he completed the complicated knot. Emma's boy _was_ a fast learner.

"That's okay!" Henry resolved, "Once we're back in Storybrooke you can teach me all kinds of stuff about sailing! My grandpa is already showing me sword fighting and horseback riding. This is going to be great!" Henry finished as he gave a still astonished Hook one more smile and a wave before heading back down the stairs and out of sight.

Emma was still gripping the wooden ledge of the ship, shook up by the sudden power of the once calm waves, when Henry came back down and saw her there. As she turned to him he wrapped his arms around her middle and hugged her tight. Emma, one hand still on the side of the boat to steady herself, hugged him back, surprised by their sudden reconciliation.

"I'm not upset anymore," Henry said into her chest, "I know why you lied. I just wish you hadn't."

"I'm _so_ sorry Henry. I'm different now. Back then we had just met and I was still so afraid. I'm not anymore though, okay," she knelt down to look him right in the eyes. "It's you and me Henry, fearless, from now on."

He smiled and started to back away from her. "Psh. Come on Mom, I've always been fearless. I mean did you _see_ me up there?" He motioned with his head up to Hook on the top deck, "I was a natural!"

Henry turned and opened the deck's hatch, climbing down and disappearing as he shut the large door behind him.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she smiled to herself. Henry always had a way of surprising her.

She looked back up to where Henry had been moments earlier, and could no longer see Hook standing by the ship's wheel.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she started up the creaky wooden steps as quietly as she could manage.

"What are you doing?" Her soft words startled him and he whipped around. She had caught him away from the wheel for a moment, as he attempted to gather his things into a large trunk in the corner of the deck.

"Just organizing my things," he replied, "I've got a long journey ahead of me."

She let out a shallow laugh, "Storybrooke isn't that far. We'll be home before morning."

Emma could tell by his hard expression that she was wrong though, and he refused to look her in the eyes. He brushed past her to retrieve something from behind her and she stilled him with a hand on his arm.

"Hook. Tell me you're not leaving."

He remained silent still.

"You can't," she pleaded. "Where will you go?!"

"Anywhere!" He ripped his arm away from her and finally looked at her, "I can't stay in your tiny little town with _him_," he spat, "safe and alive right in front of me. I won't!"

Emma gave it right back to him. "What do you think is going to happen? You'll kill Gold and then you'll be happy again?! Because let me tell you, it doesn't work like that."

Hook, frustrated with her and angry that she was trying to help him, grabbed her arms and pushed her up against the railing of the deck. "No!" He screamed, "I kill him and then I can finally let go. I can finally be _done_!"

"Done with what?" She asked, her chest heaving from the sudden contact, but her expression remained indignant.

"_Life_. This has been my goal for so long. I don't know how to do anything else. I don't know how to _be_ anything else." His face was still a mask of control but the strain she heard in his voice gave him away.

With her upper arms still in his tight grasp, she slowly moved her right hand to brush against his chest, sliding up towards his heart. "People can always change. I did."

Her soft touch caused his anger to subside but his frustration continued to overwhelm him. "You're different," he countered, "Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, the _saviour_ of the entire realm. You've got goodness in you," he motioned to her chest with his eyes. "There's none of that stuff in me."

He let her go and took a few steps back, still looking at her.

This angered her, and their roles were reversed. "You know that's not true," she glared, "and self-pity doesn't look good on you."

His empty laugh sliced through the open air around them. "What? Are we flirting now, Emma? I thought that was my job." His sly smile only made her angrier. He was trying to change the subject.

"Hook, I'm serious. _This_ is serious!" She approached him again, and he looked annoyed that his plan to deter her didn't work.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to go and off myself while you're not looking, love," he chided, "but I'm not staying. With all your compassion and goodness you should understand why, and you shouldn't want me there anyway."

She struggled with what to say next and this quiet instance allowed him a chance to really look at her. Emma's face was pale against the chilly fall winds, but the red scarf she wore complimented her rosy cheeks. She was beautiful, he couldn't deny it, but he had to look away.

He moved back to the wheel of the ship, his eyes forward as if the conversation was over.

"One week," she finally said, still not looking at him.

"What –," he started, confused again by her choice of words.

"Give me one week in Storybrooke," she rushed, moving once more to stand in front of him, this time the wheel separating them. "If by the end of one week you still want to go, I won't stop you. But just give me a chance," she pleaded, finally looking into his eyes.

"Why should I?" Hook countered, "What if by the end of a week you still won't let me leave? As much as you love tying me up, darling, I can't say the same. And how do I know you won't chain my handsome self up to the town flag pole and never let me go?" He deflected his growing affection for her with silly jokes, hoping to make her upset again.

"_Trust me_."

He wasn't expecting this and it made him pause. It was usually him begging for trust. He still wasn't convinced.

"You have to give trust to get it, my dear," he replied. "Last time I checked, you weren't the trusting type," again trying to get her to back off.

He watched her as she turned around to look towards the horizon, her fingers coming up to feel an empty spot in the middle of her chest. They lingered there for a long while as Hook watched her.

Finally, she let out a little laugh and looked back to him. Smiling, she walked around the large wheel that separated them, and stood at his side.

"Well, it looks as if my ways are changing…_Killian_," Emma said confidently, remembering the word that broke him during their last conversation.

His eyes stayed trained on the waves that spread out before them, but the use of his true name and the soft kiss she leaned up and pressed on the side of his face broke his concentration.

Stunned, he didn't say anything. Emma took this as her queue to leave, and she made her way down the steps still smiling, knowing she had won. She would get him to stay with her. She would change his life with the same deal Henry used to change hers. She returned to her spot at the bow of the ship, this time going to the over edge of the ship, looking down at the cool waves below. She could feel his eyes still on her (as she had for most of the night), only this time it made her smile, her fingers still resting idly on the newly opened spot on her chest. She felt hopeful and free, and wasn't so scared anymore.

Should I continue? Send me your critiques, comments and suggestions :)


	2. Anchor

The Journey Back Home – Chapter Two: Anchor

Summary: The Jolly Roger makes it back to Storybrooke but Hook still struggles with accepting Emma's deal. Neal's arrival in town comes as a surprise to David and Snow, who fill Emma in on Cora and Regina's evil schemes.

Word Count: 3,713

A/N: Since the first chapter was met with such kind and encouraging reviews here's part two! The chapters probably won't be as long now that I plan on continuing the story, but I hope you still enjoy! Thanks again to GABE (spooloflies) for her awesome beta. It takes a lot to edit a fic this long and she was with me all day doing this one. Seriously, she's the BEST.

Early the next morning a burst of sunlight appeared, welcoming the new day and illuminating the still sleeping Storybrooke in front of Hook's tired eyes. It had been several hours since he sent Emma and Henry off to bed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Well, one thought in particular - Emma's deal.

While he hadn't agreed or disagreed to her proposition, the way they had left things seemed to suggest his compliance. Again, Emma Swan managed to work her way into Hook's plans and completely ruin them, for it had been twice in the past twenty-four hours that he felt his expected course diverting. He solemnly wondered what she could manage to do to him in an entire week.

Hook was torn. As he approached the small sea side village he felt an overwhelming distain for its inhabitants, and the new lives they had there, but when his thoughts drifted to the beautiful woman currently on board, his mind immediately softened. He kept telling himself that it shouldn't, that he was an almost three hundred year old pirate, and one woman's actions did _not_ have to decide his fate. And anyways, the last time he truly let a woman into his life it had resulted in death and decades of unhappiness.

As the ship made its way into port, Hook reset his mind while busying himself with the difficult process. Docking, while usually easy for the practiced pirate became cumbersome without a crew or magic, and with only one hand. In fact, he was making so much noise, that he found it odd none of his passengers came out to ask what all the fuss was about.

After skillfully tying the large ship to Storybrooke's quite inadequate dock, Hook felt awkward about still being the only one awake. He supposed that many years of sailing during the night had trained him to not require much sleep. But, with his mind now set again on leaving, he begrudgingly went to wake the others so he could start his journey. He didn't even know where he would go, Hook just knew he couldn't _stay_.

Three hard knocks on the cabin door yielded no response from Emma or the boy and after leaning his ear up against the wooden panel it was clear both were still asleep. Hook turned the ornate brass knob slowly, not wanting to startle anyone, and stepped inside.

While he remembered sending Emma and the boy into the captain's quarters last night to rest, the image he saw before him caught him completely off guard. There she was, her slim build looking comfortable sunken into his dark sheets, with her blonde hair spread out like a wreath around her peaceful face. The boy too, looked content nestled in beside her. They had both removed their jackets and boots as well, having placed them neatly on the chair which sat in front of his grand working desk in the corner of the room.

For some reason, while knowing they were in his room, he had forgotten exactly what that would mean and he stood there for a long moment not knowing what to do. As he watched her sound asleep on his bed his mind unconsciously brought back images of himself and Milah, her lying in on Sunday mornings while he worked at his desk or her face looking up at him with love as they were consumed with passion during the night. Shaking his head Hook brought himself back to reality. This was _Emma_ that he was looking at and they would never be together like that, despite his utter longing.

Just then a sunbeam cracked its way through one of the cabin's small windows and fell across Emma's face, causing her to stir. Attempting to look inconspicuous, Hook bolted over to his desk and began fiddling with some sheets of paper which were strewn across its top.

His staring was not lost on Emma though, for she had been aware of his presence in the room for several minutes.

"Hook?" she questioned, while rubbing her eyes and looking around the room.

"Um, uh, yes. We've docked so…" he failed to find the right words to wake her with, for he had originally planned to practice a curt 'good morning' before his thoughts had again, decided to run away from him.

She raised her arms above her head, stretching her shoulders and back, "What time is it? Do you know?"

"Not sure, just past dawn I would assume," he replied, not able to look her in the eyes for her shirt had risen, exposing a patch of skin just below her navel. She didn't seem concerned, though she could feel his eyes on her.

Noticing her unwillingness to get up, Hook reminded her, "Look, someone better hurry up and get the crocodile off my ship, for as much as I'd like to watch him bleed out slowly, I don't want it all over my decks."

His harshness surprised her and she gave him a pointed look, glancing over to Henry, still asleep beside her.

He chose not to say anything else as he stared back at her with a similar expression and she turned to wake her son. In an attempt to get them onto dry land faster, he picked up their coats and went to stand by the door to usher them out. Watching as they gathered their things, Hook noticed Emma lean down to whisper something in Henry's ear but he couldn't make it out.

"See ya later, Captain!" Henry chimed with a smile as he took his coat and bounced out of the room, turning back to give Hook a big salute on his way. Confused by the odd gesture, Hook didn't notice Emma had approached him until he turned back and saw her face right before him.

"Thank you," she started hastily before he could speak. He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something - to tell her that he was leaving - but she stopped him with a finger on his lips.

"Honestly," she continued, directly connecting with his blue eyes, "I know how much it must have taken for you to do what you did last night. I'll be forever grateful." Emma took her hand away and Hook just looked at her, his lips tingling from the sudden contact.

"Our deal still stands, right?" Her voice broke him out of his trance and he tried to regain some of his dignity.

"Only if you plan on replacing that finger of yours with something a little more _enticing_," he replied with a grin as he leaned in closer to her face.

"You wish!" she countered with a genuine giggle, stepping back and snatching her coat from over his arm. She looked at him with an unexpected smile and left the room quickly, leaving a stunned Hook in her wake and the smell of her sweet perfume hanging in the air around him.

The sight of the Jolly Roger pulling into the Storybrooke harbour was enough to jolt Mary Margaret and David out of bed and down to the docks. After they had learned about Hook's excursion to Manhattan, they feared for Emma and Henry's safety.

They reached the ship and were greeted first by an overzealous Henry running ahead to meet them. "Mary Margaret! Gramps!" he shouted as he wrapped his arms around both of them in a tight hug, throwing the two of them off balance.

"Oh, thank god you're okay, Henry," Snow sighed, running her hand through his hair and kneeling down to inspect him for injury.

David took a step back and surveyed the area. "Henry, where's Emma?" he asked, concerned after noting the lack of anyone else around them.

"They're coming," he squeaked, squirming as Snow examined a small bruise on the inside of his left arm.

He was about to question Henry further, but stopped short when he noticed three figures emerging from the ship's deck and staggering down the gang plank. Emma and another man, who he could only assume was Gold's son, were supporting an almost unconscious Rumplestilskin, whose pale skin and bloody clothes sent David into a panic.

"Stay here," he yelled back to Snow as he rushed towards them. "What happened?!"

"Hook. He met us there and ambushed Gold," Emma wheezed, out of breath.

"Right," David said, an annoyed expression coming over his face, "You get Gold to the hospital and I'll take care of Hook," starting down the dock, all too eager to arrest the damn pirate, his hand already poised on the holster of his gun.

"Wait!" called Emma careful to mask the desperation that rose up within her chest. "I've taken care of him," she finished, with more ease.

David looked at her skeptically, "what do you mean, 'you've taken care of him?'"

"Look, he's agreed to stay out of trouble, okay?" Emma replied, her patience waning, "now let's get Gold the hospital. I don't want the ten hours I just spent on a frickin' _pirate ship_ to be for nothing."

"Yeah, he's not looking too good," piped an out of place Neal from Emma's other side.

"Uh, who's this?" David asked, still caught in mid step towards Hook's ship.

Emma started walking again, forcing Neal and Gold to pick up their feet as well. "His son," she said shortly.

David moved to follow them and heard the man answer, "Yeah, right. That's all I am now, I guess," resentment thick on his tongue.

"Save it." Emma shot back, "David, we have to get Gold to Dr. Whale immediately. Did you bring your truck?"

David, while confused for a moment, sprang into action and replaced Emma's position at Gold's side and quickened their pace. "Yeah, it's just up ahead on the road. Call the hospital Emma, and let them know we're on our way."

Emma pulled out her phone and began to dial as David and Neal continued forward towards the, now visible, blue truck.

Both men hoisted Mr. Gold into the cab and David ran over to the driver's side, jumping behind the wheel. "You coming?" he asked Neal, learning over the seat to shout out the passenger window.

"No, man. I'm only here for the kid," he said, backing away with his hands raised so David could pull away.

Not knowing how to respond David put the keys in the ignition and, as the engine started, saw Emma approach the car. She threw Gold's cane into the bed of the truck and came back to the window.

"You sure you're okay?" David asked her, concern etched over his face. He knew something was going on that she wasn't telling him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We'll talk later."

He gave a short nod of his head in response and hit the gas, the blue truck speeding away down the road, leaving behind a thick exhaust. As the smoke began to clear, Emma was left standing face to face with a frozen Neal on the other side of the broken pavement, his face just visible through the foggy grey remnants of the vehicle's haste.

As she saw Neal begin to step towards her, she broke contact with his face and turned, walking back to Mary Margaret who, standing next to Henry, welcomed her home with a warm hug.

Back at the apartment, Emma was still at odds with Neal, and had sent him upstairs with Henry while she discussed yesterday's events with Mary Margaret as they stood on either side of the kitchen's long island. At first she was wary about the two of them being alone together, but after receiving some good feedback from Henry about their time on the ship as they walked home from the harbour, she felt he could handle it.

"He's Henry's father?" gasped a shocked Mary Margaret, when Emma had answered Snow's inquiries about the stranger. "_And_ he's Gold's son? But I thought his dad was–"

"I lied to protect him, obviously," interrupted Emma, ashamed of her faults. "I was hoping never to see him again, and I _definitely_ did not think we'd be running into him on a mission with Rumplestilskin."

Mary Margaret's face softened. "I understand," she said with a smile, reaching across to give Emma's wrist a reassuring squeeze. "Do you know what you're going to do yet? How you're going to handle this," she gestured with her head to the metal staircase in the middle of the room.

"No idea," Emma groaned, shifting to set her elbows on the tall counter and placing her head in her hands. Mary Margaret could only just make out the muffed speech coming from Emma as she sighed, "Can't we go back to when our biggest problems were chasing down evil wraiths and dispelling town mobs? This stuff," again motioning to the ceiling, "is _hard_."

Snow replied with a strained laugh, "Well I'm afraid this seems to be the_ least_ of our problems."

"Why? What happened?" Emma rose quickly from her slouched position on the counter.

"David and I had some problems with Regina yesterday," Snow started with an anxious expression. "She was out doing her mother's bidding trying to find Gold's dagger."

"Wait. What?!" Emma replied, her hands raised in questioning. "Regina and Cora are working _together_? Since when? And what dagger?"

"We're not sure, but Regina wasn't trying to hide anything yesterday. It seems as though something reawakened her dark side. She's reverted right back to the way she was before the curse. I'd never seen her act like this here." Mary Margaret paused, searching for the proper words to describe Rumplestilskin dagger.

"Back in the Enchanted Forest, Rumplestilskin is also known as 'The Dark One,' and he has this dagger that apparently holds all of his magical power."

"Oh, like in Henry's book," Emma realized.

"Yes!" Snow chimed, glad she didn't sound crazy to her daughter's often doubting ears. "Well, it's said that whoever wields the dagger, can control The Dark One, and it's also technically the only way he can be killed."

"So Regina and Cora want to kill Gold," Emma surmised. "Why?"

Mary Margaret shook her head, "No clue. But I wouldn't doubt that it has something to do with Cora, or Regina would have been planning this a _long_ time ago."

"Well where are they now?" asked a panicked Emma, realizing the possibility that her trip with Henry may have sent Regina back into her mother's manipulative arms.

"We don't know. David sent the dwarves out this morning to scout the town's perimeter, but nothing so far. And with magic on their side, they could be anywhere. And the dagger is still out there somewhere."

The two women were quiet for a moment, each allowing the other to process all the new information. Emma was rubbing her temples, nursing the headache she could feel developing, when a loud banging could be heard on the other side of the apartment door. They both rushed over to the noise and Emma swung the door open to reveal a disheveled Ruby, her face tear stained and in shock.

"Ruby!" gasped a concerned Snow.

"Oh, thank god you're back," she said, her voice quick and gasping, "there's been a fire! A fire at Granny's. We don't know how it started, it just came from out of nowhere." Her one hand was on the door frame, the other on her hip as if she had run all the way there.

At that moment Henry and Neal clamoured down from the second floor loft to see what was going on.

"Have you seen David?" asked Snow, worry evident on her furrowed brow, clearly concern for his safety.

"Yes, he's already there helping put it out. But it's pretty out of control. We need more people down there to help."

"I'll get my coat," Mary Margaret turned to grab her jacket off the rack to her left.

"No," demanded Emma, moving towards Snow and continuing quieter so Henry wouldn't overhear, "this may be a _trap_. They might be using this as an opportunity to snatch Henry while we're not looking. You need to stay here with him."

"But –"

"You're the only one that I _trust_," finished Emma, looking her right in the eyes. This stilled Snow's actions. She nodded and forced a small smile, as Emma turned to give Henry a kiss on the top of his head and walk out the front door.

"I can help!" Neal said as he rushed to follow the two women down the narrow hallway of the building.

Emma looked dubiously at him as the three of them continued walking. "That's fine, but when you're finished here, Ruby will show you where you can stay at the hotel."

Neal looked hurt but Emma didn't care, and Ruby was just set on getting back to the café.

When they reached the street, Ruby turned right, to lead them to the fire whose flames and smoke could already be seen coming up from behind some of the taller buildings. Emma turned left.

"I'll be there a few minutes," she called, still facing them, "I'm going for backup," she specified when she saw they looked confused.

Both parties turned then and ran in their separate directions, two of them towards the fire, and one towards the _water_.

Killian Jones stared straight up at the dark wooden ceiling of his cabin as he lay on his back, listening to the shallow waves slightly rocking the base of his ship back and forth as it sat idle in Storybrooke harbour. He could have been halfway to wherever he was going by now, he mused as night had fallen and he could detect a few stars in the dark sky, looking out his window. That was something he had noticed about this new realm – it lacked the beauty and wonder of a black night sky, dancing with thousands of tiny silver stars. It did however, hold beauty in _other_ regards.

He leaned back against the pillows of his bed basking in her scent that was still present in the room. He wasn't normally one to sit and stargaze, but Killian wasn't sure _who_ he was anymore. Not with Emma Swan, at least. He liked their cheeky banter and frequently pushed boundaries, but his attraction for her was already out of his control, for just this afternoon he had imagined them in a hundred different positions throughout this cabin alone. His fantasies however went beyond those of lust, as he thought of her sweet smile and the innocent kiss she had given him last night. He felt his desire not only in his loins, but also in the swell of his heart at the thought of her face. At the thought of her laugh.

His dreaming was cut short when he heard a sharp knock at the door of his room. The person knocked again and Killian bolted up out of bed, attached his hook, and went to stand in the middle of the room, his stance ready.

On the third set of knocks he still didn't answer, and that was when the visitor decided to speak up.

"It's me," he heard quietly and new instantly that it was Emma but remained silent, apprehensive about what she might want.

"Emma," she added. He took a deep breath and walked over to the door, opening it to find her looking away, back towards the town.

At the sound of the creaky hinges she turned to him.

"I need your help," she stated bluntly, though her eyes betrayed the panic that she was obviously feeling.

"_My_ help? Why?" he replied, looking at the worry growing on her brow as she shifted her feet back and forth, dancing from the cold.

"There's been a fire at the diner. You know, the one on the main street where everyone goes? People are already trying to put it out but it's getting out of control fast. We need as many people as possible."

Hook fought back a laugh as he thought about the fiery fantasies he'd been having all day. _Had they made their way all into town without him_, he wondered. He kept a skeptical look on his face to mask his thoughts. "I don't know, Emma. I'm not sure I'll be welcomed back with open arms the same way you were."

Emma scoffed. "It's a fire, Hook. They're not exactly going to be batting people away who want to help. Come on," she grabbed his hand and dragged him outside, not letting go.

He remained silent, staring at their clasped hands, and stopped walking midway across the deck, causing her to lurch backwards. She walked back towards him and kept a hold of his hand.

"Hey, we need strapping, able bodied men like _you_," she grinned, knowing just what he liked to hear.

He smiled, "Oh I'm _more_ than able bodied, my dear."

She laughed and tugged him forward again.

"Wait," he said, letting her go and rushing over to the other side of the ship.

"What are you doing?" she followed him with her eyes as he was busy untying several complicated knots. Her hand felt like it was on fire now that they were no longer connected.

He threw something large overboard and she heard a loud splash as it hit the water.

"Just dropping the anchor, love," he said quickly as he jogged across the deck to meet her again, "don't want to be drifting away in the night, now do we?"

She smiled, for now he was the one in the lead, as he grabbed her hand and rushed them off the ship and towards the town.


	3. Fire

The Journey Back Home – Chapter Three: Fire

**Summary: The fire at Granny's gets out of control when one of Storybrooke's citizen's goes missing, and Hook and Emma share an intimate moment that tests the boundaries of their relationship.**

**Word Count: 4,241**

**A/N: My wonderful beta Gabe (spooloflies) was busy tonight so this is coming to you fresh off the presses! Please be kind. **

When the pair finally reached the centre of town Emma understood Ruby's earlier fears. The diner was ablaze in yellow flames, smoke rising from its windows and doors while light from the fire danced behind the shattered windows.

David and Neal were in a group of large men who manned the long fire hose, aiming the bursting stream of water directly into the building's core. Emma and Hook could see the panic on the street growing as wooden beams could be heard cracking and glass bottles exploding from inside the shop. People began to gather randomly around the fire crew, attempting to be of help, but causing the scene to look like complete chaos.

This sent Emma into full "sheriff mode," running ahead of Hook and into command. Hook stared in her with awe, for she knew immediately how to handle the situation.

"Okay, everyone! Back up! Give these guys some room to work here!" she ordered with her hands raised, drawing attention away from the fire and towards herself.

"Ruby!" she called over to the young woman, standing with her grandmother on the sidewalk, the old lady's eyes full of tears and their arms around each other. "Ruby!" she shouted again, this time waking her from her sad reverie.

"I need your help creating a perimeter!"

Ruby nodded and looked around. There wasn't time to run to the station and get the police barricades, but she did have one thing. She looked down at her hand as it went to the pocket of her jeans and she pulled out the stained glass wolf medallion. On it were the keys to her mustang. She thought about her plan for a moment as she fiddled with the keys, and when satisfied, tossed them into the air with a smile, caught them, and quickly turned on her heels.

Hook began helping Emma get people back onto the sidewalks across the street when he heard a loud roar – one he couldn't forget – remembering the reason for his latest rip to the hospital, and he jumped up on the sidewalk with the others.

From out of a dark alleyway about a block down the road, emerged Ruby's bright red mustang as it peeled around the corner. It quickly managed to disperse the crowd as she drove down the narrow road, making people back up to avoid being hit by her less than cautious driving. She parallel parked haphazardly in front of the fire truck, and now people were no longer in danger of getting too close to the flames.

"Nice job with the improvisation," complemented Emma as Ruby got out of the car. She replied with her signature toothy grin.

For a moment it looked as though their only problem would be getting the flames under control, and Emma relaxed a bit as she felt Hook rejoin them behind her. She was glad he was there. This was a good opportunity to integrate him into the town - to show the others his good side. She was happy her plan was working, and was hoping he wouldn't do something stupid to mess it up.

"This one's got a little flare for the dramatic, doesn't she?" he whispered into her ear, pointing a finger over at Ruby who had gone back to comfort her grandmother.

Emma looked at him and laughed, rolling her eyes. "You _would_ enjoy that."

"A pirate like me must give credit where credit is due, m'lady."

Emma turned back around, a slight jealousy stirring inside her.

Their small victory was short lived however, as the town's attention was drawn to six short figures who came bounding down the dark street, their bodies illuminated in the distance by only the dim streetlamps.

Walter, the security guard down at the Storybrooke hospital, was the first to cry out, alerting them to the commotion.

"Sheriff Swan!" he cried, his breaths coming in short from the run. "I was supposed to get a call from Leroy tonight," he heaved some more, bending over and placing his hands on his knees, "but I fell asleep. No one's heard from him for hours."

Hearing this, David left his position at the front of the water hose passing it over to Neal, and came to stand in front of the six exhausted men, wiping his hand off on the front of his coat. Emma looked to him, not knowing what to say.

"Now, let's hold on a second," David gestured to Walter, putting a hand on his shoulder, "before we jump to conclusions."

Emma then turned to the crowded sidewalk. "Has anyone seen Leroy?" she asked loudly, having to raise her voice above the noises of the fire. Her question was met with a quiet rabble of the crowd, each person turning to another to see if they could garner an answer. "Anyone?" she repeated.

"He _was_ in Granny's earlier," a lone voice piped up, causing several bodies to separate and reveal Tiny, the 'giant,' who had been hiding in the background, nervous around the growing flames.

"Leroy was showing me around town, and we had stopped in to get a piece of Granny's specialty pie - on the house. Don't you remember?" he motioned to Granny and a look of shock appeared instantly on her face.

"Oh no!" she cried, covering her face with her hands and leaning even more heavily against Ruby. "Leroy came by today for a piece of pie, and instead of paying for it I asked if he could take a look at one of my pipes that was leaking in the basement. He went down there a couple hours ago." Tears once again began to flow from her weathered looking eyes. "With everything that's happened, I completely forgot."

David turned to the crowd again. "Has anyone seen Leroy in the past, say, two hours?" His question was met with mostly blank stares and several shaking heads.

"Oh god," gasped Emma, fear evident on her face as she bowed her head. Hook softly took a hold of her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"I've got to go in there," David said, removing his jacket and starting on taking off the bulky holster of his gun.

"No way!" replied Emma, her voice incredulous. "There's no way you'll make it to the basement through all of those flames."

"I've got to try!" he shouted determinedly, annoyed at her disbelief.

Ruby ran up to them then. "There's a basement door 'round the back of the diner. It doesn't look like the flames have managed to get all the way back there yet. We keep it locked though." Ruby half-heartedly suggested.

"And the _keys_?" Emma didn't dare to hope.

"Inside," she replied, and Emma's heart sank again as she let out a nervous breath.

"Then we'll break it down!" David concluded, making his first assured steps towards the side of the diner.

"They'll be no need for that, mate," Hook said confidently before giving Emma's hand one final squeeze and letting go, moving to follow her father down the dark and smoky passageway between the buildings. Emma and Ruby chased after them.

"What?" Emma and David asked, simultaneously.

Still walking, Hook raised his left arm and flashed his hook in front of his face, smiling. "I'm a _pirate_, darling," he told her, looking only at Emma, "I've become pretty adept at picking locks. I'll go with you," he turned to David.

David didn't seem so sure, and Emma herself was taken aback. Ruby spoke up next.

"It's a pretty narrow entryway. There'll only be room for one of you, especially if you plan to get Leroy out of there."

"It's settled then," Hook said removing his long leather coat, shrugging it off his shoulders. "Enough talking, I'll go. Here love, hold on to this, will you?" He passed it over to Emma who still looked astonished at Hook. She looked him right in the eyes.

"You sure about this?"

He shot her a grin as they approached the cement steps that led down to the basement door, "Come on, my dear. What kind of pirate would I be if I backed away from such a challenge?"

"A _smart_ one," she said under her breath. He heard her though, and gave her one last look as he hopped over the short railing and into the dark space beneath them, rather than walk down the steps. Emma shook her head at his antics - Always the show off.

Emma leaned on the railing as they watched Hook bend down to begin picking the lock, David spoke up.

"You two stay here and wait for Hook and Leroy. I'm going to back to help with the fire."

The two women each gave him a nod, and as he startled back peddling out around the corner he gave one final instruction to his daughter.

"Emma, under no circumstances do you go in there after Hook. Do you hear me?"

They shared a serious look and Emma replied, "Of course." David peeled out of sight.

"How's it going down there?" Ruby shouted down to Hook.

"Oh, just _swimmingly_," he retorted, the sarcasm heavy on in his voice. "This blasted thing…," the women heard him mumble with aggravation. He struggled with the modern mechanism and his frustration was apparent to Emma and Ruby, listening overhead.

Emma started to panic as smoke began to rise from the crack under the door. "Hook, I don't think this is a good idea," she said. "Come on back, we'll have to wait for the guys to put the fire out."

He ignored her and after a few more measured movements of his hook, he felt the lock click open.

Hook looked up at her with a smile, one hand on the door knob. "No turning back now, love," he chimed confidently. As he threw open the door, his body was engulfed in the smoke that rushed to escape from the building, and he was gone.

Ruby and Emma shared a nervous look, and Emma unconsciously gripped the leather of Hook's coat a little tighter, bringing it close to her chest as they waited in the smoky darkness.

Hook couldn't see a bloody thing as soon as he opened the basement door, and as he stepped inside he instinctively began to bat the air in front of him in an attempt to clear a path. He quickly discovered that he was just making it worse.

"Get down on the ground!" He heard Emma shout to him from outside. He obeyed her command and was relieved to find a space about two feet tall where the smoke wasn't so thick. _Smart lass_, he thought as he began to crawl across the cold cement floor. His eyes shifted back and forth across the room searching for anything that looked like it could be moving.

He finally found Leroy, slumped unconscious against some pipes in the far corner. _Of course_, thought the annoyed pirate_, the bloody dwarf's got to be all the way over there_. He continued to crawl forward towards him, trying to pick up his pace.

Once he reached Leroy, Hook noticed that his breathing had slowed significantly, but he was still alive. Rather than try and wake him, Hook pierced his hook into the back of Leroy's jacket and began to drag them both towards the door. Hook tried as hard as he could to crawl fast through the dark room as the cracks he heard coming from the fire above them began to get louder.

The two men were almost to the basement door when a huge bang came from the ceiling and a large beam crashed to the floor right in front of Hook, missing his face by mere inches.

"Hook!?" cried Emma from outside the door.

"We're alright," he choked out, coughing from the dust and debris that fell with the huge beam, now lying right in his path.

He looked around the floor of the room, searching for another way out, but came up short of any ideas. _Well Captain_, he thought to himself, _I guess we'll just have to risk it._ Taking one more breath, as big as he could manage, Hook stood and lifted the Leroy into his arms. _Dwarf my arse_, Hook groaned internally as he struggled to carry the heavy man.

Hook managed to get the two of them over the long obstruction, but immediately felt light headed, stumbling halfway across the rest of the room. His head felt cloudy as his eyes closed for a moment and he set the man down.

He could hear faint voices shouting in the distance, but to Hook they sounded like they were miles away.

"Let go of me!" he heard a young woman shout. _Emma_, he thought.

"No!" he recognized a second voice, "you remember what your father said!"

Hook shook his head trying to clear his mind and opened his eyes again to the smoky room. He knew what needed to be done. He bent low to the ground, grabbed Leroy from under his arms and took in a large gasping breath. He could taste the flavour of soot in his mouth, but Hook managed to make the final few steps to the door before being surrounded by darkness and collapsing to the ground.

"Killian?" he heard a faint call in the distance but couldn't place the voice. It was soft and it was sweet. He felt a hand brushing at the hair at the top of his forehead. "Killian?" he heard it again and smiled.

"I know you can hear me," the voice continued, closer now, a smile evident in her cheerful tone.

He finally opened his eyes when he realized that wet drops of water were falling on his face. Emma was kneeling in front of him, with his back leaned up against the brick wall behind him.

"Swan," he said, bringing on a wave of coughing. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're alright. It's okay," she said as he leaned away from her, his lungs gasping for clean air.

"What happened? Is the dwarf okay?" Hook asked when he finally settled down.

"Leroy's on his way to the hospital now," she said standing up and offering him her hand, "looks like you got to him just in time." She didn't let go once he was on his feet. "And the fire's finally out," she added, gesturing to the rain that was now starting to fall around them. It was just a slight drizzle, but it was the extra little bit that the fire crew had needed.

Killian glanced up to the sky quickly and then leaned in close to her, his hook over his heart, "And here I was thinking that you were crying over my lifeless body," he said with a mocking frown on his face, staring at her with big glassy blue eyes.

She let go of his hand and gave him a soft shove backwards. "As if," Emma scoffed and began walking back towards the crowd. Killian followed close behind.

"Why aren't I on my way to the hospital, love," he questioned from behind her, trying to get her to look at him again. When she refused to answer him he continued, "I guess you had the privilege of checking me out yourself then, you being the sheriff and all" he joked. "Find anything you like?"

She wheeled on him. "You're fine, Hook. A _paramedic _came and had a look at you," she stressed. "Although, all the lovely _ooo's,_ _ouch that hurts' _and _bloody hell's_ were fun to watch," Emma finished with a smile, having annoyed the pirate.

"I don't remember any of that," he said as they approached the dispersing crowd.

"Sure you don't," laughed Emma. They came upon David helping pack up the gear into the fire truck.

"We're sending everyone home for the night," David told them. "We'll come back here first thing and start the clean-up. Will I see you tonight?" he finished with a small, questioning glance at Hook.

"Yes," Emma answered indignantly, "I just have to stop off at the station and fill out some paper work. Did anyone go with Leroy to the hospital?"

"The rest of the dwarves, and Tiny," David said to Emma as he began heading towards his blue truck.

"Good job today, Hook," he finished stubbornly, almost like he hated to say it, "We really…appreciate it." He gave them one final wave before turning away, leaving Killian alone with Emma in the street, the citizens of Storybrooke all walking back home in the midnight rain.

Emma had agreed, after lots of begging and pleading on Hook's part, to let him see the sheriff's station.

"I don't know why you even want to come in," Emma wondered out loud as she opened the front door with her keys and held it open for him.

"To see how the other, _law abiding_, half lives," he answered simply, stepping inside, his head spinning every which way as he examined the long hallway and stark white walls.

"Well, here it is," Emma said gesturing to her office as they made their way into the station's main room.

He busied himself shifting through papers, looking at posters on the wall, and smelling the fake plants by the window sill as Emma sat behind her desk to fill out the proper accident reports.

She glanced up at him from time to time, and couldn't help but smile. Emma liked this new side of him, granted she had only seen a little of it in the past day. It was nice to see _him,_ and not the murderous villain that had occupied his body for so long. This reminded her of their time on the beanstalk and in the giant's cave - when they had been on an adventure, and she'd seen glimpses of his true personality - carefree and trustworthy. _But she hadn't given him her trust_, she thought solemnly, looking back down at her work.

"So, is that where you keep the bad guys?" he asked, pointing behind him with his thumb to the empty jail cell as he leaned against the door frame to her office.

"Yep," she replied, not looking at him.

"I bet it couldn't hold me," Hook bragged, coming around to stand behind her chair. He rested his hand on the back of it to lean over Emma, reading the files she was filling out.

"Don't push me," Emma retorted, dryly. "I bet you won't feel so _handy _in there without your precious hook."

He just laughed, his breath tickling the side of her neck. "Nice one."

They were quiet for a moment and then he asked, "Why do you bother with this stuff anyways? Emma Swan doesn't quite strike me as the _paperwork_ kind of woman."

"Just part of the job description, I guess," she said with a sigh, getting up from her desk and filing the papers away in the cabinet. "I like being the sheriff," she continued when she saw him looking at her expectantly. "It gives me purpose in Henry's life – in _my_ life. And I haven't felt that in a long time."

Hook understood what Emma meant about _purpose,_ for he had been trying to fulfill his for too many years. He clung to it with his life, like it was present in every pump of his ancient heart, for it had been the only thing that mattered in the world as long as he could remember. But now new things mattered, and it scared him. He had risked this very same life for a _stranger_ tonight, all to wipe away the fear from two sad blue eyes. Emma's answer had made him question his own purpose, and it confused the jumbled thoughts inside his head.

"I should probably get going," he said, looking up at her and pointing to the window. "You know, before the rain gets any worse."

"Okay," she quietly agreed, walking him out of the office.

Emma turned to him then, to say goodbye, and noticed that the black make-up he wore around his light blue eyes was smudged from the rain. "Oh wait," she stopped him. "We should clean you up before you head out there. This stuff can really sting when it gets in your eyes."

He looked at her oddly. "Um, alright lass," he said, following as she led him over to one of the tables in the centre of the room. She told him to stay there, and he leaned his lower back against it as Emma went and got a wet towel from the bathroom.

She came back to stand between his legs. Hook stood up a little straighter, surprised by their intimate position. Emma held the side of his head with one hand, her fingers in his hair, and raised the towel to his face with the other.

"Close your eyes," she whispered. He did.

She began wiping his eye lids gently, the soft towel feeling nice on his skin, which was still dusty from the fire. She finished one eye, and it felt nice – refreshing, almost – and continued on to the other.

"Why do you bother with _this stuff_ anyway?" she asked, trying to make strained conversation during the tense moment. Hook didn't know what to say at first, still in awe of her standing in front of him, washing his face. She finished with a few strokes of the wet towel across is forehead and down his cheeks. Their eyes finally met and he knew exactly what to say.

"Just part of the job description, love" repeating her words huskily and staring at her lips, his eyes full of admiration and desire.

She smiled up at him for a moment and he could no longer stand it. His lips came crashing down on hers in an instant, and she responded immediately with just as much enthusiasm. Throwing the towel to the floor behind her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sunk herself into his lips. He too threw his arms around her back, his fingers coming up to feel the silky strands of her golden hair. Their mouths moved as one, as if they had kissed like this a thousand times before, each moving to accommodate the other while they both battled for dominance.

Hook grabbed her by the waist then and relocated them so that her back fell against the bars of the empty cell, their lips never parting. Her hands gripped his hair roughly as his tongue flicked out, begging entrance into her hot mouth. She moaned from the back of her throat as she granted him entrance, his hips grinding uncontrollably into hers. Their kiss was heavy and desperate as both of them tried to feel as much of the other, as quickly as possible.

Killian placed his hook on one of the bars of the cell behind Emma, as to not accidentally touch her with it, and his other hand mapped out her body. He started at her hair, lacing it through his fingers as he pressed open mouthed kisses down her porcelain neck, then moving his hand down across her chest and waist until it was behind her, pulling her body to him as close as she could possibly get.

Emma returned his fevered passion as she arched herself into his body, planting kisses along his collarbone, playing with the chest hair that peeked out from the top of his black shirt.

"Oh gods, Emma," he gasped as she kissed a particularly sensitive spot right blow his left ear, and he bucked into her harder. She put her hands on either side of his scruffy face as their lips found each other once more.

"Killian," she gasped into his lips.

"What are we doing?" Emma asked, still kissing him.

"I don't know," he mumbled, short of breath, also refusing to stop.

Suddenly, Emma's cell phone rang, causing the two to break apart, against their will. They looked into each other's eyes, their bodies still flush against each other, chests heaving.

"Mary Margaret," Emma motioned to the desk where her phone lay. "She's probably worried," Emma said, collecting her breath and her thoughts.

"Just a couple more minutes," Hook said leaning back in to her lips, with a grin.

"No, Killian. I should really go." Emma pulled her hands down from around his neck and separated them, avoiding his gaze as she walked over to the table and looked at her phone.

With her back to Hook, she couldn't see the look of hurt on his face, the rejection he felt working its way into his chest weighing down his once light heart.

Before Emma could look around he was already gone, and she finally turned around at the sound the station's door slamming behind him, a clap of thunder rushing into the building upon his exit.

**Please Keep telling me what you guys think! Title for the next chapter: Thunder.**

**Oooo, what do you thinks going to happen? XD 3**


	4. Thunder

The Journey Back Home – Chapter Four: Thunder

**Summary:** Emma struggles with the promise she made to Henry on the Jolly Roger, and in an attempt to face her fears confronts Hook about their intimate encounter.

**Word Count: **4,482.

**A/N:** So sorry I haven't updated in a while, but now I'm free to write to my heart's content :) Thanks again to my beta Gabe (spooloflies) for her awesome help! This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful birthday girl Eva (snowanchester), and my two shipmates Amanda (andthenagainbegin) and Skye (mylovelycornerofcrazy) who have been having a rough week! I love you guys 333 ALSO, shout outs to Hilary (lady-silverblood) and her sister, who came home from the hospital this week!

**Rating:** NC-17 (yep, this is the chapter)

Emma's walk home in the rain that night had been confusing. She listened to the sound of the drops falling around her, hitting the sidewalks and gathering puddles, in a heavy daze. Her mind raced to a million places at once, however she kept finding herself drawn back to the intimate moment she shared with Hook back at the station. It had felt _so good_, but it had also felt _very_ wrong. _What am I doing?_ She had thought when Mary Margaret's call interrupted their isolated moment. Emma had Henry to worry about and a town to keep safe. She should have known that, _especially_ after tonight's fire. Emma knew deep down that she shouldn't be throwing herself at the cheeky grins and enticing charm that was Captain Hook, when there were more important matters at hand.

But he had made her feel so _alive_. Those few brief moments were the best Emma had felt in a very long time. The handful of trysts she had gone through in the past decade had been fun, but they had never felt like that. So full of built up tension and emotion – emotions that she didn't even realize were inside of her – like lust and passion. She knew Hook had worked his way into her head, but her _heart_? She wasn't prepared for that. Emma wanted to say that she regretted it, and in her mind she did, but the intense longing for him was still present within her chest - the one part of her that wished she hadn't ended it.

Emma caught herself imagining how the evening would have gone had she not let her brain take over. Hands would have wandered further, kisses would have grown deeper, and _everything_ would have gotten _way_ more complicated. These thoughts of him, his body on hers, made her feel even more alone as she trudged through the watery streets, shielding herself with an umbrella against the windy storm.

What plagued her most though, was his silent departure. All Emma remembered was feeling a cold draft enter the station before she turned on her heel to find him gone.

Her thoughts towards Hook turned to anger then as she approached the apartment and ran inside to escape the rain. _How could he just leave like that? _Emma wondered with angst as she ascended the stairs. They needed to talk about what happened and Emma wanted to get it over with right away. Hook's leaving postponed that inevitable conversation, and now she would have to seek him out. Emma's frustration masked itself under the cover of annoyance, but Hook's disappearance hurt her somewhere deep inside. She turned around and he was gone, reminding her of the time she turned around and her hands were being bound in cuffs, Neal nowhere in sight.

Emma hated it, the uncontrollable reaction inside her chest that made her heart ache. She had gone from feeling completely alive to cold and alone in an instant, bringing back the memories that had been haunting her for a long time.

She fumbled with her keys while trying to unlock the door, groaning inwardly. When she finally got it open Emma was greeted with silence. The apartment was dark, only lit by the soft moonlight which shone through the white curtains which blocked off her parent's bedroom. Every few second the room would become bright with the flash of lightening striking the sky outside the window. Emma tiptoed over to them, pulling the illuminated fabric back slightly. Emma saw Mary Margaret and David locked in a sleeping embrace, arms around each other, both breathing softly. Emma smiled softly, admiring their love, but the feelings in her chest refused to cease. Images of herself and Hook flooded her brain as she turned away from the sleeping couple, and she couldn't help but imagine a similar scene involving a continuation of the night's heated events.

Emma shook herself again as she made her way up to the loft bedroom where Henry must have been sleeping, waiting for her to get home. She knew the thoughts she was having about Hook were unrealistic – they would _never_ be some sort of conventional couple like Snow and Charming – but Emma couldn't keep the images from making their way into her head. _I barely even know him!_ Emma shouted at herself before walking in on Henry, sprawled out on her bed, fast asleep.

Emma sat down next to him on the bed and stroked a few wild strands of hair out of his eyes. He looked content – safe – just as Emma had hoped, with his little snores and the drool escaping from the corner of his mouth and onto her pillow, lightening her mood.

"Henry," she whispered, trying to wake him gently. He groaned and rolled over, facing the other side of the room.

"Henry," Emma repeated, this time a little bit louder while rubbing small circles on his back to get him to face her.

He turned to her then, with sleepy eyes.

"Emma?" he questioned, "you're back."

"Yeah kid, just came to say goodnight," Emma said with a smile, but Henry looked at her with sad eyes.

"Why didn't you let me come with you tonight?" Henry blurted out accusingly, "I could have helped."

Emma could sense the hurt in his tone and she closed her eyes, taking a breath. Dealing with Henry's emotions was always a difficult area, and one she was still getting accustomed to.

"I know you could have, Henry," replied Emma, trying sooth him. "I just didn't want you to get hurt," she finished, being careful not to mention the threat posed by Cora and his mother.

"I thought we agreed not to be afraid anymore," Henry said, his frustration evident in the stare he gave Emma, his blue eyes cutting through the darkness of the room.

Emma didn't know what to say. She knew Henry was right, but she also wasn't going to let him go running into dangerous situations like tonight's.

"Hey," she said defensively, "you're right, but not when it puts _your_ life in danger."

"But it's okay to risk yours?" Henry was getting angry now, "I had to stay here all night with a worried-to-death Mary Margaret while you were off having adventures without me. This is my town too. I want to be involved."

Emma felt for him. She understood what he wanted, but she knew she couldn't give it to him.

"I'm trying," Emma said sadly, "it's just going to take a little time for me, that's all."

He turned away from her, still upset.

"Not all stories have a happy ending, Henry," she whispered softly, feeling tears well up behind her eyes, "Is it so wrong for me to want ours to?"

"I want to _fight_ for my happy ending, not stand by and wait for it to come to me." His conviction took Emma by surprise.

"I'm sorry, Henry," Emma said, standing up to slowly back her way out of the room. She knew she couldn't win this argument, and that it was best to leave him be for a little while. He just didn't understand.

The last words she heard him mumble as she closed the door behind her were, "_Prove it._"

Emma cringed at the anger in his voice, but she knew he was right. She _had_ made a promise to him, and tonight she had broken it. She let the fear take over.

She glanced at the clock on the microwave in the kitchen as she descended the stairs, the fluorescent green numbers reading 12:43am. Emma sighed_, I can do this_, she told herself while reaching for her keys.

Emma knew that going to confront Hook wouldn't prove anything to Henry, but it would prove something to herself, and she had to start somewhere.

With one last glimpse over to her parent's sleeping forms, Emma opened the door and headed out into the stormy night air.

Hook was still reeling from the night's events when he made it back to the Jolly Roger. In their moment of true desire Hook had believed that he'd finally managed to break down Emma's impervious walls. But he had been wrong, for at the first sign of things going too far, of getting too serious, she pulled back – _again_. His pain had turned into anger once he was alone, and he whipped off his jacket, throwing it onto his desk in a large heap. He crossed the cabin over to his bed and sat on the edge of it, his head in his hand, trying to calm down.

Killian scolded himself for letting her get to him. Almost three hundred years since Milah's death and he'd had _one_ purpose. A blonde haired woman with a strong will and beautiful eyes shouldn't be getting in his way. And yet she was, in a _big_ way. His heart would lighten at the mere thought of her, and their fleeting intimacy tonight had made him happier than any woman had in centuries. And it wasn't just her body that he craved, he wanted all of Emma – her history, her fierce determination, her love, the light that shone from within her. These feelings had been buried deep down within him for so long that trying to navigate them now, with everything else going on, was difficult.

After attempting to shake his head clear of these thoughts Killian laid back onto his sheets, staring at the ceiling of his cabin. He cleared his mind, focusing on the heavy claps of thunder ringing loudly throughout the cabin, clear signs that the storm outside was getting worse.

He had slightly drifted off to sleep, his body and his mind exhausted from the day's events, until he vaguely heard his name being shouted in the distance. He thought it was a dream at first.

_"Hook! Hook I know you're in there!" _

He could only barely hear it over the quickened pace of the rain hitting the ship's decks, but he recognized the voice as Emma's. _Emma._

Realizing it was her jolted him completely awake, and he rushed over to the door of his cabin, jumping up the steps and out into the rain.

If he thought it had been a dream before, Killian _definitely_ did now, for Emma was standing in the middle of the Jolly Roger a few feet from him, completely drenched from the torrential downpour around them. Her hair was stuck flat to her head, a few strands slick to her forehead and cheeks, with her face scrunched trying to avoid getting water in her eyes. Hook almost couldn't make her out, for her black coat blended into the dark waters of the harbour and the cloudy night sky.

"Emma, what are you _doing_?!" Hook shouted over the loud noises of the rain, the wind whipping around him.

"We need to talk!" she shouted back, approaching him.

"Do you really think this is the best time?" Hook asked incredulously, his hair now dripping wet, water now falling into his eyes as they stood face to face.

"Yes. We need to settle _this_," Emma gestured between Hook and herself, suggesting that something lied in the space between them.

"What do you expect me to say, Emma?" Hook threw his arms up in the air, "That I'm sorry? Because I'm not."

He could tell his words hurt her from the look in her eyes and the small step she had taken backwards, away from him. Killian was confused, for he had just admitted not regretting the kiss they had shared together.

"That's fine," Emma spoke finally after a few deep breaths, her voice quieter than before. At Hook's words her mind had immediately thought that he was happy he left her, not sorry about running out on her. She told herself not to be upset, or at least not to let him _see_ it. She shouldn't have been expecting anything to come of this meeting anyways.

"Good actually," she continued, straightening up and turning away from him to walk away. "I'm glad it's settled then."

"Wait, _what_?!" Hook shouted out, following her steps and grabbing her wrist to pull her back to him. "It's _not_ settled, Emma."

Emma looked up at Killian through the rain once more and saw the serious and desperate look in his bright blue eyes. Her wrist was burning where he grabbed her, and he didn't let go.

"But you just –"

"I'm not sorry for _kissing_ you," Hook interrupted her, taking her by surprise. "Emma, that kiss – it was the best I've felt in so long. You have no idea…" he struggled to finish his thought.

Emma continued to stare at him in silence until a bright flash of lightening broke across the sky, casting light upon their scene, followed immediately by a loud crash of thunder.

"Emma," Killian whispered as he ran his hand up and down her arm.

She _almost_ gave into his touches, but another crack of lightening woke her from his dizzying movements. "No," Emma said, backing away again. "We shouldn't."

Hook scoffed at her, "I know you're afraid, darling. I am too. But this just feels so _right._"

"But it's not right, Hook. I shouldn't even be here," Emma shook her head looking around for an escape. "I have a family and a town to take care of." Emma had been so caught off guard by Hook's admission that she didn't know what to do, didn't know how to handle his words. She had been prepared for his rejection, but not for _this._

"Emma," he shouted, taking her by the shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. "What do _you_ want? Not for the _bloody _town, or your parents – _you_, right now."

The pair of them stood in silence for a long while, drops of rain falling down their cheeks, their faces turned up to each other. Emma's hand came up to touch the necklace that usually hung on the centre of her chest, only to remember that it was no longer there. Henry's words rang in her ears amidst the roaring thunder, _"Prove it."_

"What do you want?" Killian repeated, searching her eyes desperately.

"_This_," she whispered softly, throwing her arms around his neck and placing her wet lips upon his. Hook responded immediately, letting out a sigh and wrapping his hand around her waist. Emma's hands were everywhere this time, taking the lead. She pushed him back against the large mast in the middle of the ship, settling herself flush with his body.

Their lips never broke contact, tongues dancing together and exploring each other's mouths, until finally Emma's left his to make a trail over his jaw and down his neck. Hook groaned every time she managed to flick a particularly sensitive spot with her skilled tongue, and he began to laugh as her hands made their way up to the buttons of his black shirt, undoing them.

"Emma, love, if we're going to be starting _that_ so soon perhaps we should move this inside," Hook teased, gesturing to the rain around them.

She blushed even in the cold, wet air and smiled softly, slightly embarrassed at her eagerness.

"Don't get me wrong, my dear," Hook chortled as he took her hand and led her into his cabin, "I love your enthusiasm."

Grinning at his words, Emma launched herself at him as soon as the door was shut behind them. Her mouth was on his again, her fingers back working the buttons on his top. She got the last one undone, and Emma began untucking it from his leather trousers slowly, her fingers trailing over his lower abdomen before running her hands back up to his shoulders and letting it slide off him to the floor.

Hook's initial giddiness was now replaced by intense longing as he watched Emma undress him in his ship's cabin. He stopped her hands and reached for the lapels of her jacket, sliding it over off her shoulders and tossing it across the room to join his own. He then reached for the bottom hem of her sweater, mimicking her by teasing the soft flesh just below her navel before he pulled it up and over her head, the metal of his hook chilling her cool skin. Hook stared at her soft flesh for a long time before glancing back to her face, which was again shy with embarrassment.

They were kissing again, but this time it was slow and careful, full of meaning. Killian traced her neck up to her cheek, gently stroking her face as they continued to kiss with passion, getting use to each other's pace and subtleties, trying to match themselves.

Hook went to run his hands through Emma's blonde hair and remembered how soaked the two of them were. He broke away then, and with a kiss on the tip of her nose, left the room for a moment. Emma wasn't scared at his departure this time though, her heart still beating rapidly in her chest.

Killian returned from the long hallway in the middle of the ship's hold with a fluffy towel, and brought it over to Emma. He took her hand and led her over the bed, and sat her down on its edge.

"You cleaned me up tonight," Hook whispered into her ear as he began toweling her damp hair, "just thought I'd return the favour."

Emma smiled back at him, but this time it was genuine. It wasn't a soft smile, or one of embarrassment, but a proper one, reaching from ear to ear. Hook couldn't help but return her expression, as he continued to dry her wet strands.

When he was satisfied with her hair he continued with the backs of her shoulders, traveling the towel down the curve of her spine and over the small swell of her hips that rose from the tops of her jeans. No longer being able to stand the tension, Hook gathered the towel, ran it quickly through his own hair, and tossed it to the floor.

Emma was still turned away from him, her eyes searching for him over her left shoulder. She watched as he removed the mechanism which held his hook and let it clatter to the floor. Her eyes met his in the darkness.

"You trust me that much?" Emma asked, disbelieving.

Hook placed his cool hand on her right shoulder, leaning down to place a kiss on the left.

"Yes," he whispered, his hand now moving to undo the clasp of her bra. It fell open quickly and Emma shrugged it off her shoulders and down to the floor.

"Lie back for me," he whispered again, wanting desperately for Emma to let him see her.

Emma turned then, and backed herself up to the head of the bed, her shoulders finding the tops of Hook's pillows. She lay out in front of him, looking up coyly as he stared. While some women wanted their men to resist the urge to ogle at their body, eyes trained on their faces, Emma became all the more aroused at his eyes upon her.

His eyes finally flicked themselves up to hers when he came to rest above her on his left elbow, his right hand reaching out to fondle her breasts.

"My god, Emma," Killian gasped, "You're so beautiful."

Emma could do nothing but moan as his hand roamed her chest, and he began grinding into her, their lower halves meeting.

"Killian," Emma gasped out as he put his mouth on her, and she arched into him fully taking the initiative to join them further.

She reached down then, moving her hands from his tight shoulders to the laces of his trousers, pulling them open and reaching her hand inside. His mouth on her stilled as he felt her grasp him inside of his pants. Emma could feel his breath on her chest coming in short heaves.

He moaned her name as she began to pump her hand up and down him, while he thrust himself towards her, desperate for more friction. His mouth came back to hers then with even more passion and desire, as his fervent tongue did its work and Killian sucked gently on her lower lip, causing her to emit sounds of intense pleasure. He pulled away then, and she let go of him as he rose on to his knees and began unbuttoning the top of her jeans. As he zipped down the small metal opening he leaned in to press one more kiss to the bottom of her abdomen before rising again and pulling them off of her, one leg at a time. He then stripped her slowly out of her black underwear, and instead of littering the floor with them he leaned back, placing them delicately over the left bed post – like he was going to save them for later.

The grin on his face as he turned back to her was diminished into a look of pure lust as he took in her completely naked form. _She is perfect_, he thought. After a few short seconds of awe, Hook stood from the bed and removed his own pants, and came back to rest above Emma. He brushed a few stray hairs away from her forehead and he looked closer at them, noticing the curls they were forming as they dried. It made Emma look innocent and beautiful beneath him, and all the more enticing.

Their kisses began slow and steady again, the two of them experts now at building the tension, for they quickly rose in their need and desperation.

Hook looked at Emma and asked one more time, "You sure about this?"

Emma smiled another real smile, her eyes shining in the moonlight. "More than anything," she almost sang with delight.

With one final kiss, Killian entered her deeply and Emma cried out in surprise. She had forgotten what it was like to be so fully completed by another – to be filled to the brim – to feel _whole_. She moaned with pleasure as he began to move inside her, his breath falling heavily on her neck as he gasped her name, again and again.

Their lips met as Killian began to quicken his pace, coming close to his peak, and his hand pawed frantically at her breasts, teasing her pink nipples.

Emma came up to meet his every thrust, urgent for her own release, and as she twisted her hips searching for just the right spot, she screamed out when he found it for her.

Hook leaned up, breaking contact with her lips to grip her left hip tighter in his hands, gaining more purchase on his movements. He jerked forward in just the exact direction that prayers began to fall from Emma's lips.

"Oh my god," Emma gasped, her hips coming up to meet his even further as he continued to plunge into her, her walls beginning to spasm around him.

A few more direct thrusts was all it took for her to completely unwind, her mouth in the shape of an 'o' as she cried out his name, "Killian!" and as he watched her shaking before him with her eyes closed in pleasure, he came himself when her tight walls brought him over the edge.

The two of them were silent for a long time afterwards, even after Hook fell onto his side next to her, his hand coming to rest on her flat stomach, rubbing circles. As they finally caught their breath, they turned to look at each other, both of them breaking out in giggles as they grinned stupidly.

Emma leaned over to kiss him again, this time sweet and chaste. She turned in his arms so they were face-to-face, and she reached up to play with the hair that fell down into his eyes. His hand was now behind her, stroking the deep curve of her spine.

"I'm so happy," Emma stated, her heart feeling completely full as her blue eyes glassed over with the threat of tears.

Hook kissed her cheeks, forehead and nose. "Me too," he agreed with a smile.

Emma turned her back into him, the two of them molding into one another, and Hook kissed pathways across the back of her neck and shoulders.

"Do you have to be home soon?" Killian asked, not trying to sound too hopeful for a whole night together.

Emma thought about her sleeping parents, and smiled at the fantasies she had conjured only an hour earlier, herself and Killian in the exact position they were in now. Her mind then travelled to Henry, who had gone to sleep angry with her.

She settled herself deeper into Killian's arms, reaching down to their feet for the bunched up sheets and pulled the dark fabric over their naked bodies. _At least she was conquering _one_ of her fears tonight_, she thought. She would earn Henry's forgiveness in the coming days.

"Not tonight," she sleepily replied to Hook, relaxing further into his body. She entwined her fingers with his and gave the back of his hand one final kiss before drifting off.

Hook lay there, breathing her in for quite some time, as he watched the lightening from outside the ship cast shadows on her porcelain skin, listening to the thunder roar from the sky above them and feeling the giant tides rock his ship from side to side. His mind began to wonder what this would change between them. Would Emma consider them 'together,' or would this remain a secret?

Killian shook the questions from his mind, wanting to enjoy the moment. Hook hadn't shared his _own_ bed with a woman since Milah, thinking that someone else would taint the memories they had shared together. But seeing Emma asleep in his arms didn't ruin anything. When Killian remembered Milah now it wasn't in sadness, for he smiled knowing how happy she would be for him - finally moving on.

Hook hugged Emma closer to him, his face turning into the small space where her shoulder met her neck, and closed his eyes, ready for what tomorrow would bring _them, _together.


	5. Fairytale

The Journey Back Home – Chapter Five: Fairytale

Summary: Regina and Cora's plans to find Mr. Gold's dagger are enacted under the cover of the brutal storm while Emma and Hook wake up and must deal with their new found relationship.

Word Count: 4, 053

A/N: I can't thank you all enough for you kind words and support :) This kind of reaction to my first fanfic has been the best confidence boost. I'm going to try and work the story as best I can to go along with the new information we get each week but it'll mostly follow the events I've already set up here. This chapter might be a bit shorter, than usual but I'm working up to the good stuff!

Special Thanks to my wonderful beta Gabe for her help, as usual!

Keep the reviews coming! Compliments or Criticism, I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Rating: NC-17

"What are we doing here, mother?" Regina asked as they made their way through the empty streets of Storybrooke, the sounds of their heels clacking on the sidewalk almost drowned out by the heavy downpour of rain around them.

Regina struggled to keep up with her mother, holding a large umbrella out to try and shield the both of them as they rounded a corner and came upon the library.

"Patience, my dear," Cora replied calmly, eyes trained on the top of the town clock tower as she looked up from underneath the brim of black fabric, the edge dripping with a collection of raindrops.

As they approached the large doors, Cora looked at her daughter expectantly. Regina reached into her coat pocket to retrieve one of her skeleton keys and placed it in the lock, the mechanism clicking open.

"We already established that Gold didn't hide the dagger in his precious Belle's library," noted Regina sourly as they entered the dark building. "What are we doing?"

"I thought you would have figured that out by now, Regina," Cora replied coolly as she made her way to the staircase in the corner of the large room, dimly lit from the flashes of light conjured by the storm outside. She turned back after climbing several steps to address her daughter who remained paused by the front door.

"We need the proper vantage point, darling," Cora continued, climbing further up the spiral stairs. Regina moved to follow her.

"We're going to find it with _magic_?" Regina surmised, heavy skepticism apparent in her tone.

"Well, the more conventional ways of locating it haven't quite worked out for us, have they?" Cora whipped backwards as they continued to ascend the clock tower.

"But mother, if it were that easy I would have found it the moment Gold brought magic here" Regina fought back against Cora's condescension with an indignant roll of her eyes.

Cora just smiled as they reached the top of the tower, the clock's face a window which granted view of the entire town, the trees blowing viciously in the violent rainstorm.

"It seems as though your focuses were more directed towards this boy of yours," Cora chided, "without me here, you'd still be wasting your time."

Regina's anger was met with a loud clap of thunder which shook the old building and reverberated throughout the small room. "Henry is _not_ a waste of time, mother."

"Oh sweetheart, I know," Cora soothed, "but we need the dagger _first_, before we can get your son back. The stunt you pulled with the fire today was less than helpful, it put a target on our backs."

"I thought maybe I could convince him to come home with me once he was alone," Regina cast her eyes down, ashamed of her false hope.

"Don't fret, my dear," Cora lifted her hand to the side of Regina's downtrodden face. "We'll get him back soon enough. We'll harness the power of the storm and use it to our advantage."

Regina finally looked up and saw her mother turn to face the clock window, her hands raised to touch the cool glass.

"Is that even possible?" Her daughter asked, her voice thin with disbelief.

With a sly smile Cora continued to gaze out of the tower at Storybrooke, "The dampness of the rain and the strong winds will mask the magic that is necessary for this type of tracking spell."

Regina didn't say anymore, for she then witnessed a purple haze forming around the hands of the oversized clock, the dark smoke twirling around the metal arrows. She went and stood next to her mother, the confident smile still present on her aging face. Regina grew hopeful as the violet clouds wound themselves throughout the old clock, creating intricate patterns that resembled the deadly vines Cora often controlled, but was shocked when they suddenly disappeared, vanishing with a quiet "puff."

Cora sensed the disappointment in Regina's muffled sound of surprise and reached for her hand, pulling her closer to the window and pointing silently to the streets that lay below them. Regina then saw the same purple magic emerging from the sidewalks in front of them and travelling forward at a fast pace, the edges of the smoke in the shape of the same arrows on the clock in front of her. The smoke dipped and dived as it spread out through the streets of Storybrooke, following the curves of the pavement.

The haze was quick and thin, its trail disappearing behind itself the further away from the library it got. On a clear day it would be an obvious sign of magic, but tonight the dark clouds and heavy wind kept it hidden from prying eyes.

Regina, eyes big and questioning, asked, "What now?"

"Patience, sweetheart," Cora reminded her daughter, with her eyes trained steadily on the horizon.

After a long beat of silent tension the sky before them was illuminated with three distinct pink lightning bolts crashing down from the dark clouds. They remained in view a second too long for them to be natural, and for an instant cast the town in a dark rosy shade, their unique hue telling Regina that they were a part of Cora's magic.

Regina reigned in her surprise as the two women turned to face each other. "Well, what does that tell us?"

"That my dear, gives us the three locations that Rumplestilskin's dagger has ever resided," Cora answered with a deep breath and wide smile, giddiness evident in the air around her.

"But how will we know where they struck? Storybrooke is larger than you think, mother," Regina said with a tone of annoyance, thinking they missed their chance.

Cora began descending the spiral steps before answering, a confident gait still present in her exterior. "Oh, I'll know," she finished, disappearing into her purple clouds with a grin, leaving her daughter behind.

Regina cast one more glance towards the window, trying to make out the buildings below through the heavy torrents of rain, white lightning casting bright shadows over her face. With a deep sigh, she too vanished into a thick cloud of purple smoke, following her mother back home.

The face of the library's clock tower was shrouded in the violet haze for only a moment, signaling the witches' departure, but slowly disappeared into the cold night air without notice.

The sound of seagulls greeted Emma early the next morning, the sun shining through the window with a cool breeze in the aftermath of the violent storm. It was an odd sound to wake up to, confusing Emma for a quick moment before she recognized the strong arms around her and remembered what had transpired only a few hours before. She involuntarily blushed, though no one was awake to see it, for it was clear from his heavy breaths that Killian was still asleep. Emma turned carefully in his arms to face him.

Emma felt vulnerable as she glanced down at their naked bodies, shifting her position in their embrace. She hadn't been so exposed in a long time. But it was different now, in a good way, for when she looked up at Killian she saw the same vulnerability in _his _face. He didn't look handsome as he slept. In fact, he appeared almost silly with his mouth open slightly, his face squished awkwardly against the pillows, and little snores coming from his throat. What made Emma smile was his contentedness, all the lines gone from his face in a state of utter relaxation. She had never seen him like this before, having been used to his guarded expressions and calculated movements. Killian looked so _young_, without his pirate makeup or ancient eyes to reveal his true age. It was the dark scruff on his chin and the strong body against hers that gave him away.

Not wanting to wake him just yet, Emma rolled onto her back to stretch out her spine and stare up at the dark wooden ceiling. She was conflicted because every part of her body screamed happiness after the night she shared with Hook, but her brain kept reminding her of Henry, making her wonder whether or not he would forgive her.

Lost in thought, Emma didn't realize that Killian had awoken, and he slowly worked his fingers up from their position on her lower abdomen and over her ribs to rest on her delicate breast, trying to get her attention.

They didn't speak at first as Killian began to massage her with his hand. Emma gave him one of her questioning smirks, her eyebrows drawn.

"I couldn't help myself, darling," Hook jested, fingers still on her, as he leaned in to Emma's neck and press several open-mouthed kisses there. "Such a lovely sight to wake up to," he whispered into her skin, finally moving his lips up to hers.

Emma just laughed in response to him. Last night had felt so serious that she was glad for these few moments of giddy romance. Their kisses this morning were sweet and heartfelt, the two of them having come down from their heated passionate advances.

Killian looked down at her, propping himself up on his elbows and smiling brightly as the sun filtered in from outside and lit their faces.

"You've _ruined_ me, Emma Swan," he joked, shaking his head and starring deep into her blue eyes that were squinted to avoid the bright rays. He smiled one of his big grins and Emma knew he was kidding.

"Only because you've ruined _me_!" she exclaimed incredulously, her hands coming up to rub his scarred shoulders, fingers grazing over the lines of darkened flesh. "Look at us!" she continued in a playful tone, gesturing between them, "Sharing our feelings, letting our guard down – we're practically different people!"

Hook leaned in closer to her and nuzzled her nose with his, "In a good way, right?" he questioned, looking back at her eyes to gage her reaction.

Emma's hands travelled to his still lightly purpled ribs, following them until she could clasp them behind his back, pulling him down onto her in a meaningful hug. "Definitely good," she said into his throat.

She could sense the weight in his next kiss, for it was hard and deep and made her stomach flop with anticipation. Killian ran his fingers through the hair behind her ear as their tongues ran against one another, both of their eyes clasped shut to enjoy the intimate sensations.

Emma's fingers began to move down his chest as they slowly grinded into each other, curling through the dark hair that peppered his stomach, leading toward the apex of his thighs. She grasped him softly, loving the feeling of him stilling above her in pleasure. She stroked him for a moment, their mouths still devouring each other, when he finally paused.

"Wait," Killian whispered, moving away from Emma's hands and trailing kisses over her collarbone and down to her stomach. Emma stretched out further as his mouth went lower and lower down her body.

"I want to show you how good you make me feel," he told her, his gaze up at her serious through his short lashes. His lips went to her inner thighs, working their way toward her centre while his chin tickled her in just the right way. Her breath became ragged in anticipation, and Emma let out a loud gasp as his lips connected with her most sensitive spot, sucking and licking with his tongue.

Emma dug her hands into the bed sheets, fingers gripping the dark material, struggling for purchase as she arched into him.

Hook lapped at her core before inserting a finger into her, making Emma scream in surprise while writhing on his bed in pleasure. He stopped a minute to take in the sight in front of him, admiring her beauty with a look of awe on his face.

"Don't stop," she said, her voice thin and eyes pleading with desperation.

Killian bent down to press hot kisses to the space just below her navel as he inserted another finger into her, moving them expertly and making her moan. His thumb began work on her pink bud, flicking it in tandem with his other movements, causing her walls to begin shudder around him.

Emma's hand came down to touch the side of his face, and with her breath still heavy, requested, "Now, Killian, I need you _now!_"

His mouth came up to meet hers immediately as he finished his ministrations and poised himself at her entrance. They locked eyes as he took her, deep moans escaping from both their lips. Emma came almost immediately, worked up already from his previous devotions, however was taken again by the feeling of his intense thrusts, and clamped around him a second time, causing him to follow after her with a loud cry of her name.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as Emma lay there, overwhelmed by their heightened intensity, her breasts moving up and down with her chest as she struggled to regain her breath. It seemed as though their desire for each other had only increased since last night – something she didn't think possible at the time.

He leaned over her from his position on her left and kissed her once more, slow and intense, knocking the breath out of her once more before falling back onto his side in silence.

"Two days," Emma spoke out into the quiet cabin, the only other noise being the seagulls that still flocked on the decks outside.

"What's that, love?" Killian asked absentmindedly.

Emma turned on her side to speak to him properly, hand coming up again to trace his faint scars. "It's only been two days since we made our deal," she said lightly.

"To which deal are you referring, love?" he grinned at her, playing with several strands of her soft hair, rolling them through his fingers.

She looked at him with a false sternness, unappreciative of his jest.

Killian continued softly, escaping her scolding expression, "Aye, I remember," he nodded carefully, thinking of his next words. "What can I say, lass? A pirate like me can only resist so much. You came on so strong I had to surrender."

"_Me?!_" Emma shoved him away from her slightly, her face aghast, "You're the one who couldn't keep his hands, sorry _hand_, to himself!" she joked.

"That cuts me deep, love," he cried, clutching his chest in mock pain.

She smiled at his antics but still wouldn't apologize.

"Alright, alright," Killian yielded, leaning back into her face. "I have to admit, I knew I had to have you as soon as you tied me up to that damn tree." He started placing kisses down the length of her neck. "Most beautiful treasure I'd ever seen," he whispered into her ear, making her shiver.

"Okay lover boy," Emma giggled but stopped his advances. "As much I'd enjoy it, we can't spend all morning here. I have a _job_, you know."

"Yes. You must go protect the precious townspeople," he groaned as she got up from the bed, and bent to pick up her scattered clothes. He watched her with hooded eyes, admiring her confidence to walk about the room in nothing but her skin.

"You could come with me you know," she suggested while fastening her bra and then jumping slightly to get her legs back into her tight black jeans.

Killian threw his arm of his eyes, growling at the idea. "I think I've had enough knightly heroics for a lifetime, lass. You bring out the worst in me, I swear."

Emma sighed deeply, exaggerating her movements, "That's too bad. I was going to have a reward for you and everything," she said, stressing her mock disappointment as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door.

Hook was beside her in an instant grabbing her arm and pulling her to him, still stark naked. "Hold on a minute love, I never said _no_, now did I?"

She smiled up at him brightly, "Yeah, that's what I thought," Emma laughed, planting a chaste kiss on his lips and pulling back. Hook's head seemed to follow hers forward, wanting to continue, but she stepped out of his grasp and back peddled towards the cabin's exit.

"Meet me at the station in an hour," she ordered, pointing a finger at him to reinforce the command. He grinned and she let her eyes wander up the length of his body one more time. "And Captain?" Emma added, luring him back in with her most seductive tone, looking up him through her lashes, "You might want to think about some clothes," she teased, laughing as she opened the door and stepped out into the morning.

"I make no promises!" Hook shouted after her, the English brogue thick on his tongue, still smiling from ear-to-ear.

Emma went straight to the station from the docks, telling herself she needed to get started on the street clean up as soon as possible, but knowing that she just really didn't want to face Mary Margaret. David was easier to fool when it came to sneaking around, but she knew her mother would be suspicious.

Emma was glad she kept an extra shirt at the office, relieving her of the need to explain why she hadn't changed from the night before. She slipped on the cream chemise, tossing her other shirt into the drawer of her desk, traded her black wool coat for her brown leather jacket and snapped the sheriff badge onto her hip. And after tying her mused hair up into a high ponytail and washing her face of smudged mascara, Emma convinced herself that she looked totally different from the previous day, confident she wouldn't attract any attention.

When Hook met her some forty minutes later she was taken aback by his appearance. He too had changed, for he wore simple light brown breeches, a white button down shirt, and his black leather jacket and boots. His whole aura had lightened, along with the smile on his face.

"Well don't you look different," Emma greeted him, carrying her yellow police tape under her arm as she exited the station, meeting him on the sidewalk.

"Good different, I hope," he breathed, falling into step with her as they walked down the narrow sidewalk, their shoulders brushing. "I feel like a right twat in this," shaking his head with regret.

"Well _I_ like it," Emma soothed him, realizing he must have dug out the old clothes for her, in an attempt to blend into town with the others.

He took her hand in his as they walked down the street, making sure there were no people around to see them, as a way to thank her for putting him at ease. It was odd to see him this way, Emma thought as they walked hand in hand. He was still Killian, with his rude jokes and charming features, except she saw nervousness in him. He was unsure of himself, for what she guessed must be the _first_ time in a _long_ time, and it almost comforted her for it didn't make her feel quite so alone. Like they were going through the same struggle together - both breaking down their walls.

As the couple rounded the final corner together they sprang apart at the sight of a large crowd gathering again in front of the burnt down diner. Only it was no longer in pieces, for Mother Superior was standing in the entrance way wielding her blue wand and causing the café to repair itself bit by bit.

Emma kept forgetting that some now had the ability to use magic inside the town borders, so the sight of the small nun took her by surprise. What scared her most however was the image of Mary Margaret, her arms crossed as she stood on the street corner opposite to them, eyes glaring in accusation. David was only a few feet away from her but his attentions were elsewhere.

"Well lass, looks like we're busted," Hook said reaching back to grab her hand with a smile.

"Stop it," Emma whispered under her breath, knocking his hand away from her and moving to cross the intersection towards her mother. "She doesn't know anything yet," she finished haughtily.

"Yet?" Hook teased, "So you're going to tell her? I'd love to be there when you do," he told her, a few steps behind her quickening gait.

Emma looked over her should with an expression that silenced him. It almost seemed to say, _be careful or you won't be getting that reward_, so Hook kept quiet.

"Looks like you guys have everything under control," Emma called out when she was halfway to her mother, trying to ease the tension she knew she would be walking into.

"Where were you?" Snow asked, ignoring Emma's opening statement and eying Hook suspiciously.

"Went back to the station last night to finish up some paper work after saying goodnight to Henry," Emma lied through her teeth, "Must have gotten sidetracked and fallen asleep there."

"But I called you several times this morning," Mary Margaret pressed, concern still in her tone. Hook busied himself with watching the blue fairy work her magic on the half-collapsed diner, not wanting to give anything away with his smug smiles.

Emma struggled to fill in the gaps of her story. "Yeah, I went right out of it," she continued, "even got this wicked pain in my neck from that damn desk chair. I've got to get a new one of those soon." Emma reached up to rub the side of her neck, feigning injury.

Mary Margaret didn't look satisfied with her story but turned back to David and the others anyway.

"Nice touch _that_," Killian whispered softly into her ear, startling her, "Although I'm pretty sure it wasn't _the chair_ that gave you that little kink in your neck."

Emma blushed. "You'll behave yourself, Captain," she warned, "If you know what's good for you." She winked at him, going to join her parents in assessing the rest of the damage and leaving him with the others gathered on the sidewalk.

The two women walked through the early morning woods with purpose, Cora leading the way with her daughter following cautiously behind her.

"Are you sure you know where you're going, mother?" Regina called ahead. "I've been out in these woods a hundred times and never saw any signs of a hidden dagger. And Gold wouldn't just bury it anyplace random."

"Right you are, sweetheart," Cora agreed. "He'd only hide it somewhere important to him, somewhere sentimental. He's weak like that," she laughed.

"But how will we –," Regina didn't finish for in front of her lay Storybrooke's abandoned cabin. It had been there since the curse struck and Regina had never thought much of it, however as she looked at it now it was clear she _should_ have. Through the dirty glass windows, a pink glow was faintly shining, something alight in the corner of the desolate shack.

"What could Rumplestilskin have to do with this place?" Regina asked as the two of them tried peeking through the transparent spots that were dotted in the dust of the small panes to see what was inside.

"That," Cora started as she turned the rusty handle to the cabin door, it squeaking open with an unpleasant whine, "is a very good question."


End file.
